15. Emergency Measures

The purpose of this Section is to permit the University to act promptly and effectively to safeguard members of the University community.

If the Vice-President Provost Students (or Designate) has reason to believe a student may cause harm to himself or herself or to another campus community member or that the student’s presence at the University poses or may pose a risk to safety and security, he or she may invoke emergency measures by immediately imposing a range of restrictions, up to and including suspension for up to 10 business days.

The Vice-President Provost Students is not required to hold a hearing prior to invoking emergency measures; however, every reasonable effort will be made to notify the student of the steps being considered and gather input from the student prior to invoking emergency measures. The student will be notified of the decision to invoke emergency measures in person, by telephone or in writing (including by e-mail).

If a student appears to be at risk of harming others or himself or herself, then a Dispute Resolution Adviser (DRA) and the Vice-President StudentsVice-Provost Students may also convene a meeting with the Student-At-Risk Committee (SARC)Students of Concern Committee (SoCC) in order to help determine the best course of action to enhance safety. Where applicable, the SARC SoCC may also recommend on- and off-campus referrals to support both the Respondent and any affected parties.

As soon as possible after emergency measures have been invoked, and within the allotted 10 day period or as soon as reasonably possible after contact with the student has been established, whichever happens earlier, a Dispute Resolution Adviser will meet with the Respondent, the Complainant and any relevant Witnesses to gather additional information about the case. This information will be provided, in writing, to the Vice-President StudentsVice-Provost Students for review and may result in a lifting, a modification or continuation of the emergency measures.

In the case of a full suspension, a University Tribunal shall convene within the initial 10-business-day period to determine whether or not the suspension should continue, under what modifications or conditions, if any, and the length of time the period should continue pending a full hearing and determination on the matter.

The Vice-President StudentsVice-Provost Students (or Designate) may extend restrictions for an additional 30 business days or until a hearing on the matter can be held, whichever occurs first. A University Tribunal hearing must be commenced as soon as possible, but within 40 business days from the first imposition of emergency measures.

The University Tribunal may limit a student’s access to the University until a comprehensive threat assessment has been conducted. Notwithstanding the results of that assessment by qualified professionals, the student may still be held accountable for the past behaviour that either led to the emergency measures or had a negative impact on the University or its members.

When a student has been charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, the time limits in this Section may be extended to take into account the scheduling of criminal proceedings, depending on the nature and severity of the offence with which the student is charged. Refer to Section 3 for more details on cases involving criminal charges.

16. Review of this Code

This Code will be reviewed after two years and thereafter every three years.